Wristband



April 25, 195o w. A. HEINRICH 2,505,044

WRISTBAND Filed Feb. 20, 1946 /NvE/v To R F| G5 y WALTER A. HEINRICH gym/.MW

Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRISTBAND Walter A. Heinrich, Richmond Heights, Mo. Application February 20, 1946, Serial No. 648,955

' v (c1. :a4-201) 3 Claims.

l f This invention relates generally to wrist bands and more specifically to wrist bands of the type employed to support wrist watches on wrists of wearers thereof, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a Wrist band of the ftype mentioned, which, ybecause of its improved;v --construction -and'arrangement provides a wrist band that may be adjusted to such precise size ythat it may be worn with comfort, and will be retained on the wearers Wrist in such xed position that sliding movement of the Wrist band longitudinally of the wearers wrist and rotary -movement of the Wristband about the wearers wrist are prevented.

. Many Wrist watch bands that were extensively used heretofore, which comprised a pair of band members thatwere connected together in embracing relation with respect to a Wearer'swrist, were capable of adjustment only to certain predetermined sizes. A common example of such a wrist watch band isthe familiarstrapftype wrist watch band which comprises a pair of strap members, one of which is providedwith a buckle at an end thereof, and the other of which is provided with spaced apertures through which the tongue of the buckle extends to connect the end portions of the strap members together with the band embracing la wearers wrist. The disadvantage of this type of wristwatch band is that in many cases, because of the diameter of the inV that it may be adjusted to any sizel which may be required to cause the band to closely engage the wearers wrist without causingdiscomfort. Additionally,the wrist watchiband'of the present 'invention may be expanded for'lcoritacted asto site `in a simple and convenient manner, without any need that the wrstwatch'or ai part ofvthe band, be clamped against a part of the wearers body to prevent the watch and band from accidentally falling from the wearers'wrist during the voperation cf applying the band to, or remov- -ing the band ifrom, the'wearerfs-wrist, as was tion overcomes the disadvantage recited above V,

necessary heretofore in the use of many Wrist watch bands formerly used.

Fig. 1 is a disassembled, bracketed view illustrating in perspective the improved wrist watch band of the present invention, together with a Wrist watch, and the pin elements by means of which the wrist Watch is connected to the Wrist band.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an assembled wrist band and wrist watch, showing the Wrist band with its ends connected.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modied form of the improved wrist watch band.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the structure shown in Fig. 4, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l4.

In the drawing, wherein are shown for purposes of illustration, merely, two embodiments of the invention, A designates the improved wrist watch band generally. The band A is composed of a pair of band members l and 2 which are preferably, though not necessarily, formed of metal, stainless steel, for instance, said band members being provided with eyes 3, at ends thereof, which receive pin elements 4 by means of'which a wrist Watch 5 is attached to said band members I and 2. It will be noted by referring .to Fig. 1, that the eye structure of each band tothe end thereof at which the eye 3 is located,

aband member portion l is provided which is of and 3. n ..in side elevation as is shown to good advantage greater width than the remainder of said wrist band member, said band member portion 1 having an opening 8 formed therethrough which is shaped as is shown lto good advantage in Figs. 1 The band member portion l is shaped in Fig. 2; that is to say, said band member portion includes an angularly extended part 'la in which the opening 8 is formed, and an outer part lb which because of the presence of the angular Vpart 'la is offset inwardly with respect to the y ment.

spaced (Fig. being a greatly enlarged view) close and cmnfortableV engagement between `vthe portion of the wrist band member I from which said angular part 'Ia is extended. The end portion of the Wrist band member 2 which is located remote trom the eye bearing end of said wrist band member, is extended through the opening 8 of the portion I of the Wrist band member I, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outer part 2a of said end portion of said Wrist band member 2 contacting closely with the inner face of a p0rtion of the wrist band member I, while the part Ib of the portion l of the wrist band member I contacts closely with the inner face of a portion of the wrist band member 2.

The wrist band members l and 2 are formed of material which is. inherently resilient, aspreviously stated herein, stainlesssteel, for instance, and when the end portion of the wrist band member 2 is forced through the opening 8 of the pol-v Wearers wrist and the inner faces of the band members may be obtained.

While the wrist band disclosed herein is described as being adapted particularly for use in supporting a wrist watch on a wearers wrist, it is obvious that said wrist band may be employed, also, as a support for any other article, or articles, such, for instance, as an ornament, or ornaments. Additionally, a bracelet may be constructed in accordance with the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wrist band comprising a pair of arcuate band members having end portions, the end portion of one of said arcuate'band members having anaperture formed therethrough and the end portion of the other arcuate band member being substantially smooth and being extended through tion 'I of the Wrist band member I to connect said band members, the part 'Ib of the portion 1 of` the wrist band member l is fixed inwardlyslightly. As a result or this situation the portion 'I is placed under such tension that the part 'Ib of said portion 'I tightly grips the inner face ofn the wristI band 'member 2, due to the tendency of the resilient. portion 'i to return to its normal, untensioned condition. Therefore, the overlapping and underlapping portions of the wrist band members -i and 2 will very securely engage each other so that the wrist band A will remain in any position to which it is adjusted.

In applying' the improved wrist band A illustrated in Figsjl, 2, and 3, to a wearers wrist, it is necessary to merely expand the band to bring said band to a size where the hand of a wearer of the band may be passed through the expanded band. The wearer of the band then grasps the band at its opposite sides with the thumb and fingers of his other hand, and compresses the band so that the overlapping and underlapping end portions of the band members I and 2 slide with respect to each other until the inner faces of said band members contact closely, but comfortably, with the Wearers wrist. If, in so applying` the wrist band to the wearers wrist, the band is caused to t too closely against the wrist, the band may be expanded slightly by drawing one or the other band member l or 2 outwardly until the proper comfortable iit is obtained.

Likewise., to remove the wrist band from al wearers wrist `it is necessary to draw one or the other band member I or 2 outwardly to expand the wrist band to a size where it may be drawn over the wearers hand, whereupon said wrist band may be removed. From the foregoing it is plain that in applying or removing the wrist band A, it is. not necessary to clamp the wrist watch, or

Va portion of the wrist band, against a part of the body of the wearer so as to prevent the Watch and wrist band from being accidentally dropped, as was necessary in the use of many wrist bands of the types heretofore known.

.In Figs. 4 and 5 a modified form of the invention is illustrated in accordance with which the inner face of the end portion of the band member Y 9. is provided with. closely spaced, transverse notches Iii. Also, the part Ila'of the vportion II j ofthe band member I2: is provided with a .transverse extension i3 which is adapted to enter the proper notch Il) to positively-lock the overlapping and underlapping end portions of the band members 9 and I2 against accidental relative move- Because the notches I0 are Very closely said aperture of the end portion of said one of said arcuate band members, said apertured end portion being inherently resilient and being `flexedv out of its normal position by said end portion that extends through the aperture of said apertured end portion so as to place said apertured end portion under tension and cause a portion of said apertured end portion to frictionally engage a portion of said end portion that extends through the aperture of .said apertured end portion and thereby prevent unintended relative movement of said end portions.

2. A wrist band comprising a pair of arcuate band members having end portions, the end portion of one of said arcuate band members having an aperture formed therethrough and the end portion of the other arcuate band member being substantially smooth and being extended through said aperture of the end portion of said one of said arcuate band members, said apertured end portion being inherently resilient and having a portion which is oiset with respect to Vtheremainder of said end portion, said odset portion of said apertured end portion being flexed out of. its normal position by the end portion Which extends through the aperture of said apertured end portion so as to place said apertured end portion under tension and cause said oiset portion of said apertured end portion to frictionally engage a portion of said end portion that `extends through the aperture of said apertured end portion and thereby prevent unintended relative movement of said end portions.

3. A wrist band comprising a pair of arcuate band members having end portions, the end portion of one of said arcuate band members l having an aperture formed therethrough and the end portion of the other arcuate band member being substantially smooth and being extended through said aperture of the end portion of said one of said arcuate band members, said apertured end portion being inherently resilient and having a portion which is offset with respect to the remainder-of said end portion which contacts with one face of the end portion that extends through the aperture of saidv apertured end portion, and a. normal Yportion that contacts with the opposite .face of said end portion that extends through the aperture of said apertured end portion, said off- .set portion of said apertured end portion being iiexed out of its normal position by the end portion which extends through the aperture of -said apertured end portion so as to place said apertured end portion under tension and cause said offset portion of said apertured end portion toi-frictionally engage a portion of said end por- 75, tion. that .extends through the aperture of said apertured end portion and thereby prevent unintended relative movement of said end portions.

WALTER A. HEINRICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of rebord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 413,301 Noxon Oct. 22, 1889 416,185 Robinson Dec. 3, 1889 Number Number Name Date Crane Aug. 29, 1899 Crane Jan. '7, 1902 Peck Jan. 29, 1907 Nutter Mar. 19, 1912 Trommel` Aug. 19, 1919 Gass Aug. 19, 1941 Smith Oct. 31, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain of 1937 

